flenniken



Feb. 3, 1931. J. w. FLE-NNIKEN rumours@ nvrcs und .my 1v, 192e 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i hb, 3, 1931.

J. w. FLENNIKEN 1,791,055

INDICATHLG DEVICE r Filed .my 1:7.'y 192e' 2 sheets-sheet 2 IivzLr/e niort Ubu 7 mmennixen meme Fels. 3, um4 A y I A i 9 1,791,056..-

UNITED STATES "PATENT/orale: I

Application lied Illy 17,1988. Serial In. $93,850.

This invention relates to signal devices, provided with anY annular cover or reta' and more particularly. to a combined tailv ring 2. Mounted within the end of the caslight and direction indicator for vehicles, ing 1 is a glass plate 4 and an opaque plate 3- certain features of the-invention being genhaving a substantiall square opening 5.

5 erall applicable to direction indicators, therein which preferalily 1s a with 55 whet er combined with tail lights or not. its lon er dimensions vertically and orizonl' The present invention is designed to permit tally isposed or, in other words, with two the installation of a single signal light upon corners at fpposite sides of the a1 li ht. the rear ofthe vehicle, which 1s arranged not Thus the e ective transparent iiel whic is -19 only to act as a tail li ht but also as a direcdefined by the opening 5 may be substantialo o tion indicator and, i desired, as anatten- 1yllare 0r rectilinear, in any case being, z tion or stop lig t. provided with angular portions at either This device referably is provided with side. shutter means rranged to alter the effective Secured to the inner face of the late '3 .10mn w.

i5 shape of the red (or other colored) field are a pair of swinging shutters 6. ach of 05 winch lmay serve as the rear lens for the tail l the'lattl may be 0f Substantially tri al'. light. Certain aspects of the invention re-. fOIm Wlth a pivotal support 7 such as as eeve late to the arrangement ofthe actuating and. Il lOuIlted 0n a Screw securing the apex porcontrolling means lfor the shutters, the structlOIl thereof. t0 P13116 3- If desired a suitable 20 tural arrangement ofthe same and related COVGI'lDg Plate 103 Similar ill dmellSOllS t0 70 parts, andi the arrangement of the light the plate 3 may be located without the same source'in conjunction with the same. 1n order to cover the rivet ends andthe like This invention therefore has for objects, lI POII the platc'?) and t0 provide the signal among others, the provision of a direction inllght Wlth a fmshed ppeam 95 dicating device which is simple, compact, .A Silltable C0101`0d Screen 10 0f red 81388 01'A 75v and comparatively inex ensive, which hasy the llke preferably is Secured to the plate 3.

its direction indicating e ements clearly vis- The Screen 10 if desired ma lla-VB. 0110 .fue

ible even under adverse conditions and which fIOSted, 01 the Plate 4 may L? ihUS .tlewtedmay also be used as a, stop light; and fur- SO that Suitable difusin 0f the light rays ther, to the arrangement of a device of this Whlh pass therethrough occurs and so that so character in a convenient and compact comth Image 0f a filament in the light source is bination with a tail lio'ht designed to illuminot clearly visible. Suitable clips 11 may be nate the conventional license plate and to arranged about the screen 10,'tl1e edge of the give a warning signal at the rear of a vehicle. screen and the clips being arranged in eny In the accompanying drawings, gagement with spacer elements 12, (Fig. 5) Fig. l is an elevational view of the rear which serve to space the glass from the metal (or lens portion) of the combined 'tail and plate 3 to provide a suitable space for the direction indicatln light; shutters 6. The spacer elements 12 also may. Fig. 2 is a centra vertical section through act as stops to engage the sides of the shutthe Same; ters, limiting the movement of the same in 90' Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the lens Ieither direction.- Y

plate, shutter elements and related parts; Electromagnets 15 preferably are secured Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram; to the plate 3 adjoining each of the shutters Fig. 5 is a sectional detail; and 6, these magnets being provided with core Fig. l6 is a sectional and elevational view portions that are extended as designated by 95 of the switch element assembly. numeral 16 to provide means securing the Referring to the accompanying drawings magnets in place. The magnets maybe proand more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 therevided with heads 17 of non-conducting ma- `of, it is evident that the improved signal deterial, which are adapted to engage the 'plate vice may have a suitable casing 1 Iwhich is and to hold the windings of the mgnets 103 20, the opposite ends of which are connected to extensions 21 of the retaining clips r11.

Normally the springs serve to hold the shutters in the position shown in Fig. 1 i. e., so that the, armature elements 19 are spaced from the magnets. However, energization of either of the magnets will cause the correspondingl l ample t e full-line position of .the upper shutter in Fig. 3) Thus the triangular shutz ters are arranged so that the base portions of the triangles formed thereby may define the bar of an arrow and so that the sides may cooperate with the sides of the opening 5 in defining an arrow head, the direction of the arrow depending upon the positions of the shutters. Thus the `lower shutter in Fig. 1 is normally located in' aposition suitable to define an arrow pointing to the, left, energization of the ma et controlling the upper shutter being su cient to change the shape of the illuminated field and to cause an arrow pointing toward the left to be defined.

On the other hand, if the arrow is to point in the opposite direction, the upper-shutter remains fixed" and the lower magnet is enerlgized to move the corresponding shutter and cause the arrow to be defined as pointing toward the right. Ordinarily the irregular red'field definedby the shutters and the sides of the opening 5, as shown in Fig. 1, issuitable to provide an appropriate warnin indication similar to that of the conventional tail'light.

A suitable light source 30 is arranged preferably inappropriate relation with a reflector 31 at the rear of the plate 3 and the el'ements mounted thereon. For this? purpose a suitable standard socket 'ma be mounted upon the rear of the casing 1 eing supported by suitable legs 32. Suitable openings 35 and 36'are provided in the reliect'or and casing respectively to permit light rays to be cast Y downwardly from the ,bulb 30 to a suitable license plate which may be mounted upon the metal license plate support 37 which may be securedto the end of the casing 1. Any

suitable curved transparent element 38 lmay -the buttons 50iL be arranged about the opening 36.

Fig. 4'provides one typical wiring diagram which illustrates a convenient means of connecting a signal light of this character withv Va conventional lighting circuit and shutter to be swung, (se'e'for ex vappropriate controlling switches. Preferably this controlling circuit is so arranged that the bulb 30 may be energized by the full voltage of the electrical supply source 48,'such as the battery or the generator, when ,the direction 'indicators are actuated, while a reduced voltage is provided in order to make the device function as a conventional tail light. Y, Preferably a suitable three-contact switch, designated by numeral 50, is provided to control the electromagnets and the energization of the light which corresponds to the actuation of the shutters.

This switch preferably may, for example, be provided with a suitable contact bar 51 whichis adapted to engage contacts 54 and 53 or 54 and 55 when pressedtoward the same, the engagement of the. bar with the first-named pair of contacts causing ener- Ygization of one of the eletromagnets andthe bulb 30, and engagement of the other pairn of contacts with the bar causing energization of the other magnet and the bulb .30, it being 'evident that in either case, due to the illus- I' v tratedr parallel arrangement lof the leads, the bulb may be' provided with the full voltage 'from the battery 48 or any other-sluit- .able source of current.

. Accordingly amV bar 5o win 'be pressed 'in one direction to cause the formation ofan.

arrow image pointing in that direction and the ene'rgization of the light source behind said defined image, and the bar will be pressed in the other direction to cause the suitable,

plied with energy through the switch 60 it may receive four volts. While obviously the switch 50 may be arranged in various ways,

I preferably provide a switch of this general character on the conventional clutch pedal 60 of the vehicle, Fig. 6. While for convenience of illustration in the wiring diagram of Fig. 4, I have shown a single contact bar-51 arranged to engage the elements 53, 54 and 55,

I preferably providev separate buttons 50, 50b and 50, upon the pedal; which function in the same manner as the bar 51, diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 4. It isevident s that the intermediate button 50", which controls the switch element 54, that is connected to the light 30, )proj ects outwardly beyond a d 50, which control the switch elements 53a and 55, respectively, that are connected to the electromagnets 15, and which correspond to the contact elements 53 and 55 of Fig. 4. Accordingly, it is evi-l twisted in the other direction and pressedagainst the buttons 50* and 50 to energize the light and to define a pointer directed toward the opposite side of the vehicle. This arrangement of the vswitch controlling ele v ments upon the clutch dal is advantageous, since ordinarily the lefte foot of the operator is not bein used when the vehicle is about to be turne Thus, there is no necessity for the operator removing his' hands from the steering wheel at a time when it is most essential that he have the use of both hands to control the same.

It is evident that the buttons 50* 50 and 50, may be so arranged that a straight downward push of the foot may result in the enerzation of all three of the controlled circuits.

his results in the swinging of both of the` shutter elements, while causlngutihe'energization of the light 30 with the l voltage of the current t us causing a bright flash and l thus tending to attract the attention of the through the screen, said opemng havin an' gularly disposed edges at each side o the screen, a pair-0f shutters between the source and screen,said shutters being movable into a plurality of relative positions to cooperate with said opening in varying the shape of the image visible through the translucent screen when rays from the light source are cast thereon, the shutters having a normal inactive position, one of said shutters being movable from said position to cooperate with the disposed edges at one side of the opening,

other shutter and the opening to form an a1'- row directed to one side, ,the pointed portion of the arrow being defined by the angularly the other of said shutters bein movab e from said position to cooperate wit the first shutter to form a pointer directed in the opposite direction.

2. A direction indicator comprising a translucent screen having an 'effective field of substantially rectangular form with corners at its upper and lower portions, a swinging shutter pivoted adjoining each of said cor# ners, said shutters being of generally triangular form, with an apex at the pivot and with straight' sides arranged to swing to either one of two sitions wherein one of said sides will be juxtaposed to the side of the rectangular field and the other of said sides will define an edge of an arrow head, the bases of said triangular shutters defining the arrow bar in each osition.

3. A direction in icator comprising a 'l translucent screen having an eective field of substantially rectangular form with corners at its upper andlower portions, a swinging shutter pivoted adjoining each of vsaid corners, said shutters being of generally triangular form, with an apex at the pivot and with straight sides arranged to swing to` either one of two ositions wherein one of said sides will be juxtaposed to the side of the rectangular field and the other of said sides will define an edge of an arrowhead, the bases of said triangular shutters defining the arrow bar in each position, means yieldably holding one of said shutters in a position to formone arrow head, and the other shutter in a position to form the other head, and means selectively operable to move one or the other of said shutters to cooperate with the other shutter and in forming an arrow.

4. A direction indicator comprising a light source, a translucentscreen having an efl'ective field'of substantially rectangular form with corners at its upper and lower portions, a swinging shutter pivcted adjoining each of said corners, said shutters being of generally triangular form, with an apex at the pivot and with straightsides arranged to swing to either one of two positions wherein one of said sides will be juxtaposed to the side of the rectangular field and the other of said sides sol ioc

will define 4an edge of an arrow head, the

bases of said triangular shutters defining the arrow bar in each position, electromagnets in circuit with the li ht source to swing either one or the other cfg said shutters to its arrow forming position.

5. A combined tail light and direction indicator comprising a colored screen, means to define the images of pointers upon the screen, a light source behind the screen, a casing about said light source, an opening in the casing to permit light rays to be cast through the same upon a license plate,`and means to make the light source have greater or less intensity, said means being arranged so that the intensity will be' greater when a pointer image is defined upon the colored screen.

6. A direction indicator com rising a casing having an open end, a rim etachably secured to said casin ,a plate defining a rectilinear opening visi le through the screen, a

pair of substantially triangular shutters, said shutters having apex portions pivotally mounted on the plate adjoining corners of the opening, armatures upon the apex portions of each of said shutters and electromagnets disposed adjoining opposite margins of the opening and behind the plate, and yieldable means holding the shutters sov that their respective armatures are spaced from the correspondingl magnet, energization of either magnet being effective in attracting the corresponding shutter so that the latter cooper ates with the sides of the opening and the other shutter in defining a pointer.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 16th ldey of .1111 ,1928.

J0 EPH W. FLENNIKEN. y, 

